Podcasts

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen welcomes Dr. Emily Farkas, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Indiana University School of Medicine, to discuss her unconventional path to becoming a trailblazer in global medicine. Dr. Farkas shares how she balances a clinical career in academic medicine with surgical missions around the world, and she reflects on her hope of serving as a model for the next generation of surgeons committed to giving back. As she puts it, “You can craft a career that’s a bit different from the rigid way we traditionally view cardiac surgery.”

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, hear from Christopher Seder, MD, professor of surgery and chief of the thoracic surgery division at Rush University, and Robert Habib, vice president of research and analytics at STS, about the development of the Society’s short-term risk calculators for pulmonary resection and esophagectomy, powered by the General Thoracic Surgery Database with more than 800,000 patient records.

Host Dr. Sara Pereira sits down with Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University, to explore her remarkable career journey. Dr. Zwischenberger shares how she briefly considered majoring in Italian Studies before deciding to follow in the footsteps of her surgeon father and mentor. She also opens up about personal challenges—including divorce and single motherhood—and how support from her surgical partners helped her become a respected clinician, accomplished researcher, and the first female associate professor of cardiac surgery at Duke.

What were the most practice-changing thoracic surgery papers of 2024? In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Linda Martin, UVA Health, and Dr. Jeff Yang, Thinking Thoracic co-host, spotlight top studies shaping the field, from groundbreaking lung cancer and esophageal cancer findings to surgical profession papers that impact how surgeons work and lead. Dr. Martin’s curated list is a go-to resource for surgeons looking to stay at the forefront of evidence-based care.

Host Dr. Sara Pereira welcomes Dr. Ian Bostock, thoracic surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and associate professor of surgery at Florida International University. Their conversation explores his journey from childhood in Mexico and his early passion for both biology and art, to an initial interest in transplant surgery—and how a serendipitous meeting at Starbucks helped shape his career path. Dr. Bostock also reflects on the importance of supporting trainees and early-career surgeons as they embark on their professional journeys.

Laurie Baedke, executive coach, founder and CEO of Growth Edge Holdings, and best-selling author, talks with Dr. Michael Maddaus about “stepping outside your comfort zone” to grow professionally and personally in this episode of The Resilient Surgeon. They address the challenges of promoting high performers into leadership roles without equipping them with critical skills like communication, accountability, and influence. Listen today.

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen speaks with Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic, cardiothoracic surgeon and CEO & President of the Cleveland Clinic, about his remarkable path—from early life in Croatia to surgical training in Zurich and Boston—a journey that reflects the international growth of the Cleveland Clinic itself. Now at the helm of one of the world’s most prestigious healthcare systems, Dr. Mihaljevic shares how his global experiences continue to shape his vision for delivering exceptional care worldwide.

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen sits down with Dr. Lisa Brown, thoracic surgeon at UC Davis Health, to explore the pivotal moments that shaped her unique journey in medicine — from working as a nursing assistant and contemplating PA school, to earning her medical degree and initially leaning toward emergency medicine, before ultimately finding her calling in thoracic surgery. Dr. Brown also shares her clinical passions and dives into the importance of her research in preoperative education and patient-reported outcomes — and why these areas matter so deeply to her.

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, hear from Alexandra Potter, researcher, and Dr. Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, both from Massachusetts General Hospital, about a new study that reveals current lung cancer screening guidelines miss nearly half of patients who develop the disease. Alternative approaches could greatly expand access—especially for women, minorities, and former smokers. Listen today. 

Thinking Thoracic Co-host Dr. Erin Gillaspie talks with Dr. Stephen Liu,  associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University and head of Developmental Therapeutics at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, about the surgeon's role in navigating the biomarker space and working collaboratively with oncology colleagues.  Listen today. 

Co-hosts Drs. Cherie Erkmen and Sara Pereira have a fascinating conversation with Dr. Ross Ungerleider, a congenital heart surgeon at University of North Carolina Health, and his wife, Dr. Jamie Ungerleider, an educational psychologist, about their research and personal experiences supporting surgeons and their families, with a particular focus on spousal wellness. Their work emphasizes the importance of addressing the well-being of surgeons' significant others, who often face unique challenges that can impact both their relationships and personal lives.

In the latest episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, live from #STS 2025, co-hosts Drs. Sara Pereira and Cherie Erkmen speak with Dr. Stephen Yang, a professor of surgery and medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University, about how the cardiothoracic specialty can be further diversified through initiatives such as the Looking to the Future Scholarship. They also discuss how providing medical students and residents with mentorship, networking opportunities, and exposure to innovators at the Annual Meeting can inspire more of them to pursue cardiothoracic surgery.